A Bright Idea

After another couple hours' worth of trekking up the burning hot side of the mountain, including a little bit of climbing for fair measure, Arson, Odie, and Zelda finally made it to Goron City. They wandered through, gazing at the piles of stone and iron. On…second thought…those piles of stone had holes in them, like doors. Were they buildings? Such small buildings, too, for such large people. 

"Maybe the rest of it goes into the mountain," Zelda suggested with a shrug, eyes casting around for the first Goron to ask—

"Ah, yes, excuse me," she called as one walked by with a pot on their head. The Goron stopped, letting out a questioning noise as they turned to face the princess. "Hello, can you point me to your Boss? We would like to speak with them," Zelda said with a soft smile, voice carefully modulated and hands behind her back. Her posture made her look older, more mature…and like a princess. 

The Goron bowed slightly. "Yes Princess," they said, recognizing the blonde girl immediately but not thinking it odd that she was here. The Royal family had business everywhere, after all. "Boss Garbum resides up the hill, goro. He will be glad to receive the Princess of Hyrule."

Arson and Odie looked at each other, annoyed. Zelda was supposed to be in disguise, but her comportment did nothing to hide the fact that she was a princess, and in the heat, she wasn't able to cover her face the way she should. Instead, her hair was pulled into a high ponytail and she called that good enough.

Zelda, for her trouble, just curtseyed back, not bothered at all to be recognized. "Thank you very much."

~~~

Boss Garbum, for his credit, was absolutely massive. It was easy to see how this Goron had become the boss of everyone else. He stood a good head and shoulders over most of the other Gorons and was twice as wide. Needless to say, he absolutely towered over the cluster of teenagers in front of him.

"You want a what-now?" he asked, bending forward to squint incredulously at Odie as the blue-haired menace went up on their toes, puffing out their chest as if to say I'm a threat too. Really?

"I know it sounds ridiculous," Zelda said with a soft smile. "But we were told that the Goddess left something here for us to collect. If we could speak in private, we would be glad to explain more explicitly."

In private apparently meant deep in a cave, but, frankly, it was cooler in there, and the teenagers were quite happy to sit down in front of the Boss and explain the situation more explicitly, as promised. 

"You're right. It does sound ridiculous," he said slowly, hands folding together on his cane. "The Golden Goddesses have long since abandoned Hyrule, leaving it in the hands of Hylia to manage." He leaned forward, a sparkle in his eye. "Or, so most think. But your story about Farore, and the stone of the forest itself, proves this to be wrong." And Boss Garbum knew more than what he was letting on. 

"For the Lava Stone to reveal itself from where Din has placed it, a challenge must be met," he continued, leaning back again, smirking a bit. "And do you know what trait Din favored above all others?"

"Power," Arson said with a nod, leaning forward himself to absorb as much information as possible. "She's the Goddess of Power, and her element is fire." And Fire was his thing.

"Yes, but therein lies the problem," Boss Garbum rumbled, shaking his head slowly. "No Hylian has ever bested a Goron in a show of power, and the stone cannot be given over without winning the challenge placed before you."

"No Hylian, maybe," Odie said with a smirk of their own, raising a knee and tossing an arm over it. "But how'bout a half-Sheikah monstrosity?"

"You would challenge a Goron?" Boss Garbum blinked in surprise, staring at the blue-haired menace as if they had two heads. "In a test of Power? In which the Gorons outsize you by three times?" What an idiot! 

"Yeeep," Odie said, tossing their head back confidently. "And I'll win, too." Mischief sparkled in their eyes and their grin got even bigger.

Arson shifted uncomfortably beside Zelda, looking very nervous. "Oh, for the sake of the Three please do not—" he muttered, looking extremely worried. 

"Don't what?" Zelda asked quietly, leaning in. 

Odie continued to muse, sizing up the Goron in front of them as they tilted their head. What would show power? What could they want? 

"Odie, you are not—" Arson started, only to be interrupted by a quick Shuddup from Odie, getting waved off. Arson just went pale. They were going to fight a Goron, weren't they? They were going to fight a Goron and become a greasy spot on the mountain.

"Can I pick the challenge?" Odie asked instead, still smirking confidently at the Boss.

"…sure. You can pick the challenge, small one," Boss Garbum said, mouth curling in amusement. "But it must be a challenge of power."

"Alright! I know just the thing!"

Zelda and Arson just groaned and facepalmed. This was not going to be good!